Showing posts with label TV. Show all posts
Showing posts with label TV. Show all posts

Monday, May 30, 2011

Entertainment: Wonder Woman Cancelled

Last year, it was reported that Warner Bros. Television had plans on developing a Wonder Woman TV series (to fill the void left by Smallville ending its 10 year run), teaming up with writer/producer David E. Kelly to pitch to major TV networks. Virtually all of the major networks turned down the series, but NBC, the final network to initially pass on the project, announced that they had ordered a pilot on January 21, 2011. The plot is described as "a reinvention of the iconic DC Comics title, in which Wonder Woman – aka Diana Prince – is a vigilante crime fighter in L.A. but also a successful corporate executive and a modern woman trying to balance all of the elements of her extraordinary life."

On Februrary 16, 2011, it was announced that actress Adrienne Palicki (pictured right) was cast as the title character, with Elizabeth Hurley as a potentially recurring villain, Veronica Cole.

Despite fan disappointment over the modernization of the costume, all seemed to be ready to roll out for a Fall 2011 launch.

And then, the bottom fell out. NBC pulled the plug.

NBC chairman, Robert Greenblatt, explained why they dropped the ball on the series: "I hate to disappoint anybody. I know there are legions of fans of the original show. I don’t know if it’s cursed or what. I just have this one experience. They made a really fine pilot and Adrianne Palicki did a fantastic job. You look at what you have, what you need, and it just didn’t seem to fit in with what we were doing. We did what was best for the schedule. It does give one pause. You’re almost damned if you and damned if you don’t. It’s tricky."

He had more to say about the fanboy furor over the costume: "I was surprised there was such an uproar. But that didn’t have anything to do with whether the show got picked up. I love that it got so much attention. All that engagement from people whether it was positive or negative was good. And she did ultimately have these little hot pants…"

Hot pants or no, unless another network picks up the series, Wonder Woman will end up like the pilot for the ill-fated Aquaman series: on the cutting room floor.

Tuesday, May 3, 2011

Entertainment: Reboots of Awesome 80s Cartoons that Don't Suck

We all remember the sad affair that was the relaunch of the Transformers 2.0, which was essentially the old show with super high-tech transitions between scenes, and a abhorrent remake of He-Man a few years later. Well, fans of the old 80s 'toons should rejoice with the knowledge that two of the most awesome shows of the day are making a comeback, the kind that doesn't suck.

A month or so ago, it was announced that ThunderCats would be making a return to the small screen with a revamped story line that introduces us to a younger Lion-O and his journey as the leader of the ThunderCats. Based on the classic 1980s show, the re-imagined ThunderCats has been ten years in the making. I’m sure there’s some of you, like myself, when you heard this series was going to be made, your first thought was, "Great!" then your second thought is, "They better not screw it up."

In that line of thought, how did the creators go about balancing keeping the old fans happy while trying to figure out how to bring new, younger, viewers in? "I think we approached it with a huge respect for the original but yet we were free to take those characters in different directions and keep the spirit of the original intact," said producer Ethan Spaulding. "We changed a lot but I think fans will appreciate the things that they hold dear about ThunderCats are in this new incarnation."

Next to get the 'boot is Voltron Force, set several years after the final battle between the Voltron Force and Prince Lotor, a new evil threatens the galaxy, and the universe is once again in need of its true defender...

Voltron is the king of robots, made up of five robotic lions that combine to form a mighty metallic warrior, sworn to defend the universe. Voltron is capable of inflicting colossal blows, making giant leaps, and is armed with lasers, sabers, missiles, and the invincible Blazing Sword!

Fueled by the Power of the Lions, found within the new Voltron Force cadets, Voltron returns more powerful than ever. Key to the mighty robot's new abilities is the power to reconfigure, allowing each lion to form the head, and arming Voltron with the specific powers of that lion.

The original Voltron Force pilots, Keith, Allura, Lance, Hunk and Pidge return, and this time they're joined by three new cadets. With the once-in-a-millennium opportunity to train alongside their heroes, these junior pilots will help unlock incredible new powers, discover secret origins, and fight to earn their role in the legendary Voltron Force.